veiled threats

Veiled threat
NIGEL ADLAM

June 21st, 2010


A MUSLIM woman has complained after allegedly being told to remove her face veil during a job interview at a Territory hospital.

Territory Anti-Discrimination Commission officers have launched an investigation.

Acting commissioner Lisa Coffey has refused to discuss the case - or even confirm that a complaint had been lodged.

But the Northern Territory News understands the young woman went for an administration job at Royal Darwin.

A doctor asked her to remove her veil during the interview.

She refused - and filed an official complaint.

The case comes at a time when several western countries are following France's lead in banning the wearing of the hijab in public.

The doctor is believed to have engaged a lawyer to represent him.

Discriminating against someone because of their religion is illegal.

But whether insisting a Muslim woman remove her hijab is discriminatory has not been tested in the Territory.

NT Islamic Society president Adil Jamil said less than 2 per cent of Territory Muslim women wore a veil.

He said it was considered "offensive" to ask a woman to take off her hijab.

"It's against their religious beliefs," he said. "It can seriously hurt their inner self.

"Under traditional Islamic view, a woman cannot show her face to any man except her husband and male relatives."

Mr Jamil said there were about 2000 Muslims in the NT from 23 countries.

Three-quarters of them are of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indonesian heritage.

Mr Jamil said a few Territory-born Muslim women wore a veil.

"They see it as reinforcing their religious beliefs and inner satisfaction," he said.


http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2010/06/21/157541_ntnews.html